1. Field of the Disclosure
The subject disclosure is directed to a handle assembly for a portable gas cylinder, and more particularly, to a removable handle assembly that protects the valve located on the top of a portable gas cylinder, and to a method of attaching the handle assembly to the gas cylinder and subsequently removing the handle assembly from the gas cylinder.
2. Description of Related Art
Compressed gas cylinders are well known in the art and have been widely used in various applications, such as, for example, the storage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for cooking appliances such as stoves and grills. A compressed gas cylinder generally comprises a steel cylindrical body having a valve at the top for controlling the flow of gas from cylinder and a footing at the bottom to provide stability for the cylinder upon a supporting surface. A steel ring is typically welded to the top of the cylinder to surround the valve for protection.
Gas cylinders are generally intended for multiple uses within a deposit and return system. The cylinder is periodically checked when it arrives at the filling station to be refilled. This may occur three or four times a year. In accordance with the findings of this checking, it may be decided that the gas cylinder be refurbished. In order for a gas cylinder to be reprocessed or refurbished, the welded top ring may have to be separated from the cylinder. In known designs, the body of the gas cylinder is often damaged in this separation process, causing the entire unit to be scrapped. A further disadvantage of using steel top rings to protect the valve is its relative weight.
Some known protector designs attempt to address the excessive weight problem associated with steel rings welded to the top of gas cylinders by providing a synthetic protective mold that is intimately linked to the gas cylinder. Although, the resulting protector is lighter than a steel ring welded to the top of the gas cylinder, this proposed solution, prevents the visual inspection of the gas cylinder. Moreover, removal of the molded plastic material linked to the steel cylinder is almost impossible without causing major damage to the steel cylinder.